How Can CRE Industry Attract More Women?

MIAMI—Last week, I wrote an article with a pointed question in the headline: Why Do CRE Women Make Less Than Men? By making less, I mean less money.

“Back in the 80s and 90s, we began to see a big shift in the opportunities available to women,” Marti Mang, senior vice president of corporate lending at TotalBank and CREW-Miami's president, tells GlobeSt.com. “When I started my career, women were making 60 cents to every dollar a male was earning and today, we make 78 cents for every dollar a male counterpart makes.”

So the question is this: What effort is CREW-Miami making to influence and attract more women to an industry like commercial real estate that has been historically dominated by men—despite the pay discrepancy?

“Last year, at the national CREW Network convention held in Miami, we had a tremendous participation with 1,300 people in attendance and we're continuing that momentum this year,” Mang says. “We are offering networking and support to our members through our monthly events.”

As Mang sees it, that's the secret sauce of CREW-Miami. It has driven the organization to grow in membership, she says, and is what keeps members engaged long term.

“The value we offer via education, mentorship and networking supports both our female and male members,” Mang says. “We continue to open up our membership to young professionals and are raising funds for scholarships to benefit young women interested in pursuing careers in real estate.

For example, she says, CREW recently gave five scholarships to students at local universities and all the recipients are now participating in the mentorship program.  She says the financial help and mentorship support will empower them with more knowledge, connections and education that will help them get their careers off to a strong start.